Where does one begin? I sit here once again, seething at our government and the short sighted people who find justification in tearing a country apart leaving their citizens to fend for themselves. As with all of these conflicts, the human beings in the middle are of little import, even to their own governments. Those chanting "Go Israel" or "Go Hezbollah" are missing the other sideS of the picture. The vast majority of these Lebanese are NOT involved, are powerless to do anything about it, and are being killed, injured, and terrified by what's going on from both sides.
Meantime, what about all of the other innocents from other countries who are there visiting family, conducting business, or just vacationing in what used to the the "Paris of the Middle East?" Just when it seemed that the civil war in Lebanon was finished, and the democracy we pressed for so hard was in place (although, as with the Palestinians, the US seems to only like democracy that votes the way our Administration thinks they should....bringing to mind Soviet "democracy" but that's another story) people went there for various reasons, thinking it relatively safe. As usual, the actions of a few are punishing the whole.
France, Denmark, Norway and other countries sent ships to get people out. As of this morning, 5 days after the crisis began, there had been no large scale (as in more than say 50 person capacity) equipment available to take Americans out. Those Americans who were lucky enough to get out through our own government were told to sign promissory notes, pledging to pay the costs for their rescue. Meantime, these other governments have mobilized and gotten people out INCLUDING Americans, with no requests for payment.
Finally this morning, the United States, the world's most powerful nation, sent a ship to get around 1000 Americans out, and rescinded the policy that they must pay for their evacuations. How generous. In an environment where all evacuation routes were destroyed or blocked, and the ONLY way out was through the intervention of other governments, our people have been left behind as a country we consider a friend is blasting all exits, and blockading the ports.
Meantime, Hezbollah is getting funding and supplies (including the rockets it is shooting into Israel) from Syria and Iran. Israel's actions have effectively shut off the means for Hezbollah to re-supply. How many rockets do they still have? Who knows? Why weren't they made to disarm? Some say because Hezbollah assassinated the Prime Minster who was going to disarm them. Does the average Lebanese person care as they are trying to exist? Since so many of them are running for their lives, I doubt they're very pro Hezbollah.
One American woman finally being evacuated with two small children mentioned that they had been in the war zone with bombs falling all around them for 5 days. Putting myself in her position, I don't know if I could have survived it. Those charged with the responsibility of getting that woman and others like her out of Beirut will never feel such fear for their lives over that long a period of time, and will not have the empathy necessary to get their asses moving a little bit faster. It's ironic that the US holds itself out as the policeman of the world, but as my friend Lauren says, "to serve and protect" means that we serve them, and they protect their own political behinds, and the rest of us "little people" who don't chew with our mouths open at international events, can eat cake.
I find myself once again unable to fathom my government's response to a crisis. And once again, I feel our people are getting the shaft. Hopefully, everyone will get out safely (including the innocent Lebanese) and our beloved government will take some of the resources from "saving" Iraq, saving Halliburton, and saving the future for the religious right everywhere, and save our own people for once.